A Windhoek High Court order issued on Friday has resulted in the forfeiture of a house and flat in Walvis Bay, Namibia, to the state. The property, situated on Hage Geingob Street, was valued at N$2.99 million and was the scene of the sexual abuse of five teenage girls in 2017. The court ordered that the property, 1 250 square metres in size, remain under the control and supervision of a police officer.
The property belonged to Russian citizen Alexander Krylov, who was convicted of human trafficking, rape, and supplying cigarettes to minors in March 2023. Krylov, a 62-year-old harbour pilot at Walvis Bay, was sentenced to an effective prison term of 35 years. The property was registered jointly in the names of Krylov and his wife, who claimed she had no knowledge of or involvement in her husband's criminal activities.
According to evidence heard during Krylov's trial, the property constituted an instrumentality of the offences of human trafficking and rape. Five minor girls, aged between 13 and 16 years, were introduced to Krylov by a Walvis Bay resident during 2017. Krylov collected the girls and transported them to the flat at his property, where they were subjected to continuous sexual abuse.
The flat at the property was used to harbour, isolate, and sexually exploit the minor complainants pursuant to an organised criminal scheme that spanned several months. Krylov admitted during his trial that he engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor complainants at the flat. The property was not merely incidental to the commission of the offences; it served as the active instrument of the crimes.
The court has ordered the police officer to sell the property by public auction for an amount not less than its market value. The proceeds of the sale will be deposited into the justice ministry's Poca Asset Recovery Fund account. Krylov ended his life in prison in August 2023, while serving his sentence.
Acting prosecutor general Martha Imalwa applied for the forfeiture order, citing the property's role in the crimes. Imalwa stated that the flat contained no residential furniture other than a single bed and was not used as a dwelling or ordinary domestic living space. Krylov routinely locked the complainants inside the flat, taking the keys with him, thereby physically detaining and isolating the victims.
The forfeiture of the property brings closure to the victims and their families, who suffered greatly at the hands of Krylov's heinous crimes. The state has taken a significant step in recovering assets obtained through organised crime, sending a strong message to those who would engage in similar activities.
Key points
- The property was valued at N$2.99 million and will be sold by public auction.
- Alexander Krylov was sentenced to an effective prison term of 35 years in March 2023.
- The property was used as an instrumentality of the offences of human trafficking and rape.
